Media Contact

BOSTON - Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office will participate in National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), which takes place from March 1-7, 2009. This year's national theme is "Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today's Economy." Today, the Attorney General's Office launched a blog dedicated to the wide range of topics the office handles, including energy and utilities, consumer protection, charitable giving, and cyber safety, among others. Consumers can view the blog and post comments at www.mass.gov/agoblog .

"Particularly in today's economy, it is never too early or too late for consumers to educate themselves about such topics as how to use credit wisely or how to recognize and avoid scams," said Attorney General Coakley. "Our office looks forward to taking advantage of new technologies and communication tools, such as the blog we are launching today, as well as traditional local outreach across to better inform and protect consumers."

In October 2008, the Attorney General's Office launched an Energy Blog to provide a forum to continue the discussion and interaction that took place at a series of Winter Heating & Energy Roundtables, and to also reach those who were unable to attend one of these events. The blog was intended not only to be a resource for stakeholders but also for sharing news, ideas, and information. As the blog grew in readership, the Attorney General's Office received valuable feedback from readers and contributors which led to today's launch of an expanded blog that will focus on a wide range of consumer issues, and will serve as a clearinghouse of information and resources from the Attorney General's Office.

Additionally, the Attorney General's Office today announced it would use the popular marketing tool "Twitter" to inform the public about press releases, blog posts, public events, grant announcements and media appearances. Consumers can visit the AGO Twitter site at .

During NCPW, the Attorney General's Boston office and regional offices, located in Springfield, Worcester and New Bedford, and Local Consumer Programs which are funded by the office, will also provide local outreach across the state by presenting on various topics impacting today's economy at high schools, councils on aging, local libraries, and colleges across the state. Presentation topics include: consumer credit rights, how to read a credit report, tenant rights, how to avoid scams, how to use credit wisely, how to choose health insurance, identity theft, and what to look for when purchasing a car.

Although NCPW will serve to kickoff a series of consumer education workshops, the Attorney General's Office will continue to expand its consumer communication efforts and provide year-round statewide education opportunities.

Materials available for download on the Attorney General's website include: